


Dancing With A Demon // Book One

by scr3am



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, I think you guys will like this, MINIMAL CHAPTERS BUT LOTS OF WORDS, Not all things follow the timeline of the plot but most do, Once Upon A Time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23695267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scr3am/pseuds/scr3am
Summary: In this story, Peter is NOT Rumplestiltskin's dad because that is pedophilia :)The reader is Captain Hook's adopted daughter. The reader sneaks into the mission of saving Henry from Neverland but didn't expect the cost that came with it.Hope you enjoy :DAlso, yes, there are only a few chapters but there are a decent amount of words within each chapter.
Relationships: Peter Pan/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 34





	1. Chap. 1

The boat rocked back and forth as waves splashed against it. Right now, with no place to run, I was faced with five very angry adults. It would've been six, but Rumple had left us some time ago, already on the land. I sheepishly looked at them.

"I can't believe- and I _told_ you to stay back in Storybrooke! And yet, what did you do? You stowawayed on my ship!" My dad yelled. I gave a soft smile.

"Listen, dad, I'm-" I tried to say.

"No, no excuses. We're already almost there so there's no turning back now," he said. "Bloody hell."

I looked down, waiting for more yelling but none of that came. Instead, a gentle voice spoke.

"Why?" Mary asked me. I shrugged.

"Why not? Henry's like a little brother to me. I want to help save him as much as you do," I said.

"You could get seriously hurt," Emma chimed in.

"I know," I uttered. "But it'll be worth it if we can get him back, right?"

They all shared glances with each other. 

"Just stay close to us when we get on the land," David said.

"I will," I said.

The rest of the short trip was spent in silence. I could tell they were getting tense, for as was I. Only my dad knew what to expect of this place. He had told me the story, of course. The story of him and his brother. 

I can understand why he's so angry with me. He didn't want me to end up with the same fate as his brother. It's a tragic story, to say the least, but I'll be just fine. I know I will.

My head rested on the ledge of the boat, overlooking the dark water. Every once in awhile, I would see a dolphin swim by, which made me smile. I feared these waters and never understood how my dad could be a pirate. Especially not after the mermaid incident. And I was below deck, hiding, for that! I couldn't deny that the water was beautiful, however.

"We're here," my dad announced. I practically jumped to my feet. "Whoa, slow down there, lass. You'll be the last one off the ship."

I rolled my eyes but obeyed. I waited for everyone to get off before I could and as soon as my feet touched the soil, I sighed in content. Now, _this_ is what I prefer.

I looked up at the sky in pure happiness as we walked. There were so many stars. I was able to see the many constellations sketched into the sky. 

We walked for about twenty minutes before we decided to stop. We were at a cliff that overlooked a jungle. My dad decided we must go around it but said we should sleep first.

"You want to sleep when my son is out there suffering?" Regina said. 

"If we want to live long enough to save the boy… yes," my dad said. 

We then went to find a place to rest for the night. We set up camp not far from the cliff and I waited until everyone was asleep. Slowly, I get out from under the blanket and go out to explore the woods. I didn't go that far, just about 20 feet away from the campground. 

The forest was beautiful, to say the least. The trees were filled with vibrant green leaves that somehow shone in the starlight. The moon was full, giving the ground a soft glow. I could hear the gentle sounds of the crickets all around me. I reveled in the forest's beauty. I felt like I never wanted to leave. It was truly amazing.

That is, until someone came up behind me and wrapped one of their arms around my chest and one of their hands covered my mouth. I tried breaking out of their grasp but it wasn't working. I huffed and just stopped squirming. 

Finally, I decided I needed to take a different approach. I took my right foot and crossed it over the back of their leg and kicked with all my force. At once, they let go of me and we both tumbled to the ground. Remembering I had my dagger with me, which would've worked earlier but I'm a dumbass and forgot about it, I quickly took it out of it's holder, got on top of the person and held it to their throat. 

We were both breathing heavily but I took that time to search over their features. They were a boy, no older than I was, probably. Around sixteen, maybe seventeen. Since we were under a tree, the light from the stars and moon were blocked, so I couldn't see much of his face but I could see that he had dark hair and that he was smiling. 

"Who the hell are you?" I asked. He gave a small laugh.

"Peter Pan," he replied. He was so casual as he spoke as if our previous interaction had never happened.

"You're- you're Peter Pan?" He nodded. I scoffed. "To be honest, I was expecting something scarier than _this_ . My dad keeps calling you a demon, and yet, _look at you_! Quite disappointing, really."

He squinted his eyes at me and before I knew it, I was dropping to the ground. He was gone, just like that. I quickly got up onto my feet. That's when I noticed the stinging on my neck. This bitch made me cut myself with my own dagger. It was only a knick so I didn't worry too much. 

I quickly turned around and stood up in search for him. He was standing in front of me innocently, looking at me with his arms crossed. The light illuminated his features and I was able to see him more clearly. What I thought before was dark hair, was actually more of a dirty blonde. He was close enough for me to see that he also had green eyes. They were pretty. He wore a green outfit, some of it was made from leaves. 

"Just because I look young doesn't mean I can't kill you in a second, sweetheart," Peter said. I rolled my eyes.

"Then, by all means, go ahead," I said with a shrug.

He waved his hand and I closed my eyes, waiting for death, but it didn't come. I slowly opened my eyes and saw he was much closer. He gently touched my neck and I noticed the stinging was gone.

"You were bleeding," he muttered. 

"As one does when they get cut with a sharp object," I said. "So are you gonna kill me or…?"

He cocked his head to the side. "Of course not. At least, not yet, maybe. See, I like that you and your group came all this way to find little Henry." Oh shit, I forgot about Henry. "So why don't we play a little game?"

He stepped back and handed me a folded piece of paper. "Give this map to Emma."

I opened the map. "It's blank." 

"Tell her it'll reveal itself once she admits to who she is," he said. "It'll help you guys on your search for Henry."

"Um, okay, cool," I said. I was about to walk away, not wanting to be around him any longer until he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. "Excuse me, sir, this is a violation of my personal space."

I saw the corners of his mouth twitch up. 

"You're very funny," he said.

"I sometimes make jokes in stressful situations," I said.

"This is stressful to you?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean, yeah. Listen, you kidnapped my best friend and snuck up behind me, as well as are refusing to let me leave. I would say this is pretty stressful," I said. 

He looked me up and down before answering.

"Y'know, if you didn't hate me, I think we'd be good friends," he said.

"I don't hate you, per se," I said.

"Oh?" He asked.

"Yeah, I only hate people once they're past the point of helping or something like that," I said. 

Then, he laughed. Really laughed. He let go of my wrist and stumbled back a little. I looked at him, confused. 

"Oh, love, I am _way_ past helping," he said. "400 years will do that to a person." My eyes widened.

"You're _400_ years old?" I said.

"Mentally, yes. Physically, I'm sixteen. I arrived here when I was sixteen and I've been sixteen ever since."

"Wait so you're practically immortal!" I exclaimed. He looked at me weirdly.

"Do they not tell you anything?" He asked.

"I wasn't even supposed to be here. I snuck onto the ship to be here. All I pretty much know is that Henry was kidnapped by you. I hardly know anything else," I said. 

"Fascinating," he said. I pursed my lips.

"Um, I guess," I said. "You planning on telling me some false information, now?"

"No, I'll let you figure out the details by yourself," he said. "However, I must be off. Can't have Henry wandering away from the spot I left him in just because I'm not there, now can we? I hope to see you again soon… uh, what's your name?"

"Y/n," I said. 

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," he said with a soft smile and before I knew it, he was gone. 

I blinked. This was the most surreal conversation I had ever had. It almost felt like a fever dream. And not to mention, who decided a demon should be made so attractive? 

Remembering my neck, I brought my hand up to touch it. He had healed it. I shivered. Why? Why encourage us to look for Henry when he didn't want anyone near him? Why help us? What was the point?

The questions swam through my head as I walked back to the camp. I sighed when I reached it. Everyone was still asleep. I decided I needed to go to Emma and tell her about the map, so I did. She looked so peaceful sleeping, I almost didn't want to wake her.

"Emma," I said as I gently shook her. In two seconds she was wide awake with a sword to my throat. 

"Y/n? What- what's going on?" She said as she lowered her sword back to the ground and got into a sitting position. 

"I- okay, don't get mad but I wandered away from the camp a little bit and met Pan," I said.

"You did _what_?" She exclaimed. 

"Yes, well, anyway, he gave me a map and said to give it to you. He said, and I quote, 'it'll reveal itself once she admits to who she is. It'll help you guys on your search for Henry.'," I said.

She stood up and took the map from my outstretched hand. I stood up with her and watched as she opened it. 

"He's helping us?" She asked. I nodded. "What did he mean by 'it'll reveal itself once she admits to who she is?'"

"I don't know, Emma. He didn't tell me much more about the map. I'm sorry," I said.

She looked at me, confused.

"Don't apologize. If anything, you did a good thing. We now have more information. We just have to figure this all out, first," she said. "I'll go wake the others."


	2. Chap. 2

I sat on the ground and watched as they all bickered over how they were going to get the map to reveal itself. Emma, being a good person, said that  _ she _ instead got up and met Peter instead of me just so that I wouldn't get in trouble again. That was the thing about Emma, she was always helping people. 

I watched as Emma tried to reveal details about herself that might get the map to open. Regina wanted to use magic but my dad thought that that was a bad idea. 

It took them about ten minutes in total before everyone got irritated and let Regina use her magic to find Peter. So, we were on our way to find him. I was sort of hoping it was going to be a longer process just so that I didn't have to see him again so soon, but I was also relieved because this may be how we find Henry.

We trekked through the forest with the map leading the way. Little conversation was made as we ventured deeper into the forest. It took around ten minutes but finally, the map led us to a small opening. 

"No one's here," Mary said. "Maybe your spell was wrong, Regina."

"Yes, blame me. Again," Regina scoffed.

We looked around, checking out the place. 

"Guys, hold on," Emma said. I looked at her, confused. "Is that…? HENRY!"

We all quickened our pace after Emma and looked where she was looking. Henry was there, right in front of us. He turned around and... it wasn't Henry at all. It was Peter.

"Hi, Emma," Peter greeted her. "Y/n." He winked. I rolled my eyes. I felt my dad put his hand on my shoulder.

"Where the hell is Henry?" Emma asked in a panicked tone. 

I tried moving up to where Emma was in the front but my dad held me back. 

"You broke the rules. That's not fair, bad form. I did expect more from  _ you _ , captain," Peter said.

"Aye, and you'll get it," my dad said. 

"Give Henry to me," Emma said.

"Sorry, can't," Peter started. "Don't you know? Cheaters never win."

Then, the Lost Boys all came out of the shadows. They surrounded us. Some of them had bow and arrows, others had sticks or torches. My group started to pull out any weapons they had.

"Watch out for their arrows, they're laced with Dreamshade," my dad said. And then he whispered to me. "Hide, all you've got is a dagger and that's not enough."

"But-" I tried to say.

"Don't argue with me," he said sternly. I sighed and ran off to find a place to hide.

Just as I had left, the fight had begun. I watched as best I could from my spot, everyone was battling each other. The blood rushed through my ears and my heart pounded in my chest as I started to panic. I couldn't see everything that was happening and that worried me. I didn't know if anyone was getting hurt or not. Then, as quickly as it had started, it ended.

"Remember, Emma, that map will show where Henry truly is, only when you stop denying who you really are. I'll make sure to send Henry regards," Peter said. 

I saw the Lost Boys and Peter run off so I was about to come out of my hiding spot when I saw sparkles and fell into a sleeping state.

\---

"What the hell?" Was the first thing I said when I woke up.

"Hello, darling," a voice said. I turned my head to the side to see Peter sitting next to me. 

"Where am I?" I asked.

"My hut, of course. Did you think I was going to make you stay outside?" He said. 

I looked around at my surroundings. I was in a bed, the covers over me. His hut was small but larger than most. It was also very well put together. To the right of me, a nightstand, to the left, Peter. I sat up to get a better look in front of me. Across the room lay a table with papers strewn about and a few pencils. A chair was at that table, as well. Above me was a brown roof made out of wood. The walls were also made out of wood. Of course, what did I expect? Behind Peter, there was nothing but a wall and a door.

I looked over at Peter and sighed. I felt like screaming. I wanted to punch him, but I knew that would only end up badly. I squinted my eyes at him. Of course, he had a smug look on his face. Exasperated, I lied back down and looked upwards. 

"I strongly dislike you," I said. I felt him lie down too.

"I love your humor," he said. I shifted so that I was on my side that faced him.

"You think I'm being funny? You- you  _ stole _ Henry and you  _ stole _ me. You ripped us away from our families. What kind of monster would do that?" I said. 

His eyes searched my face. I probably looked like a mess. My eyes were watering and no doubt because of that, my face was probably turning red. My hair felt like it was a mess, which it probably was and I was slightly shaking, to top it all off.

"Sometimes there must be sacrifices," Peter said.

"Sacrifices?" I yelled, my voice breaking. "What the fuck are you planning on doing to Henry? To me?"

By now I knew the tears were falling. I got up from the bed and backed away from him. But Peter being Peter just appeared right in front of me. He grabbed both of my wrists and I felt him back me up until my back hit the wall.

"Let. Me. Go!" I yelled. "Goddammit, Peter, just let go!"

"No," he said calmly. 

I started to trash around and do what I did before by trying to trip him but he moved his legs before I could. I stopped and just looked at him, out of breath. 

"Just listen to me, okay?" He said. I stared at him. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Bullshit," I said.

"No, I promise. Look, I'm going to let you go but you have to promise not to run. Can you do that for me?" He said. I nodded. "Say it."

"I promise," I breathed. He smiled and let go of my wrists.

Now was my chance to run but I didn't take it. Instead, I tried to formulate a plan in my head. I could wait until they all fell asleep and make my escape then. But then, surely they always had someone on watch, right? I could fight Peter and take him down and then run. But what if I can't beat him in a fight? What if I do beat him in the fight but the Lost Boys catch me as I run?

"I can see the wheels turning in your head, Y/n. I don't think you'll want to leave once I show you what's outside," Peter said. 

He held out his hand and gestured towards the open door with his head. I huffed before taking his hand. He led us towards the door where I found my shoes waiting for me. I quickly put them on and we went outside, towards the group of Lost Boys. I looked around, finding nothing special.

"On your left," Peter muttered.

I looked to my left and my eyes widened. I broke free of Peter's hand and ran over to a log. On that log sat Henry.

"Henry!" I said to him. He looked up at me in confusion.

"Y/n? What are you doing here?" Henry asked. 

"I came to save you. _We_ _all_ came to save you. Rumple, Emma, Regina, Mary, David, my dad, and I," I said as I brought him into a hug. He hugged me back immediately but pulled away after about thirty seconds.

"But I don't need to be saved. Magic does," Henry said. I blinked a few times.

"What?" I asked. 

"Pan said he needs my heart to save the magic in Neverland before it dies," Henry said. I furrowed my eyebrows. 

"Do you know how made up that sounds?" I whispered to him. " _ Henry _ , there must be another reason!"

"What do you think it is, then?" Henry asked. 

"I don't know but  _ saving magic _ just doesn't sound correct," I said. Henry crossed his arms and huffed softly.

"Trust me, Y/n, Pan wouldn't lie," Henry said.

I groaned and put my head in my hands. "Of course he would. Anyone could lie."

I looked back up at Henry and saw him shrug. "It seemed pretty believable to me. But, now that you say that, it does sound a bit…"

"Off?" I asked.

"Yeah. Off," he said.

"Y/n," Peter called out from behind me. I looked over to see him walking over. "Why don't I show you the rest of the island?"

"I want to stay with Henry," I said. Peter was at my side now.

"Don't worry, he'll be safe with the Lost Boys," Peter said. 

"Very reassuring," I mumbled.

I got up from the log, not wanting to argue and Peter took my hand again. I looked down at Henry and smiled.

"I'll be back soon," I said, really not wanting to leave him in the hands of the Lost Boys but not wanting to make Peter mad.

"Have fun!" Henry said with a wave and a grin.

Peter led me past the Lost Boys and more towards the woods. He held a torch in his right hand to light the way. We ventured through various areas of the woods and by now I was getting confused. There really wasn't much to see on this island. Everything looked the same.

Finally, he stopped at the cliff I had seen earlier in the night. He brought me to the edge and looked over. Was he going to push me? Everything inside of me to run, to leave, but I stood my ground and waited for what came next.

"Have you ever flown, Y/n?" He asked. I looked at him weirdly.

"No," I said. He turned to look at me and I saw he was smiling.

"Do you trust me?" Peter asked. 

"Absolutely not. But I am curious," I said.

He reached into his shirt and pulled out a small vial that hung around his neck. He took it off his neck and uncorked the vial.

"This is pixie dust. There's not much left out there, so it's very rare to find it. However, I've always kept this for a special occasion and seeing as I don't need it, I want you to have it," Peter said. 

"Tell me why exactly you trust me with this dust," I said. "I could run away with it if you give it to me."

"Because if you truly wanted to run away, you would've already. You would've taken Henry and made a dash for it. But you didn't," Peter said. Dammit, he's right.

He handed me the vial and I took it. "What do I do?"

"Pour it over you," he said. So I did. I watched as the sparkles raced down my body and soaked into my skin and clothes.

"Now what?" I asked him. "I don't feel any different." 

"Think of a happy thought," he said.

"Any happy little thought?" I asked, skepticism creeping in my mind. He nodded.

I closed my eyes and thought of the time I went onto the rooftop of my house my dad and I lived in. I was eight years old and had just gotten out of the foster care system. I was alone for a week because my dad was out on his ship and I didn't want to go. I remember going up there and watching the sunset. An array of colors were painted across the sky and birds sang their beautiful tunes. It was winter so snowflakes gently fell around me as I sat on there, wrapped in a soft blanket. I had never felt so at peace than in that moment. 

I felt myself lift off the ground and I quickly opened my eyes. I looked down and my mouth dropped open. I was a few feet off the ground and was slowly getting higher and higher until I was around fifty feet up. I laughed with excitement and looked over at Peter, who was still right next to me and holding my hand. 

"The view is beautiful from up here, isn't it?" Peter asked. I nodded, still in shock.

"Peter, this is- this is amazing," I breathed. 

"I know. That's why I came here, to this island. It's perfect here and I can fly," he said. 

We flew over the edge of the cliff and that's when my anxiety kicked in. What if something went wrong? What if I really wasn't supposed to trust him on this? What if this was part of his plan to kill me? What if- oh God I was falling.

"Y/n!" Peter yelled and gripped my hand tighter. He wrapped his arm around my waist with his other hand and brought me higher in the air. "You can't worry or you won't be able to fly. You have to  _ believe  _ that everything will be alright." 

I looked into his eyes and automatically knew I needed to listen to him. I nodded and closed my eyes again. I took a deep breath and opened them, staring straight into his eyes.

"I got this," I whispered. 

"You got this," he whispered back. 

He let go of me and for some reason, I missed his warmth. He wasn't even holding my hand anymore. We stayed in the same spot in the air for a minute or two, Peter letting me catch my breath and calm down. 

I looked up into the sky and automatically felt more at peace. The stars were glistening, which made me feel much more clam. I turned around to see the moon casting a silver glow on the area around it. I turned back to Peter.

"Shall we fly some more?" I asked. He chuckled.

"We shall," he said.

We dived down until we were right over the jungle. The wind swept over my face and I couldn't contain a smile. Every thought escaped me as we flew. It felt like I had left all of my worries behind and the only thing that mattered was this moment. We flew for about 20 minutes.

This time, I was the once who reached for his hand. He happily let me. I don't know why I did it, but I did. We went to where the ocean was and flew over it. I watched the water sparkle with the late night light. 

Peter brought us down until our feet were standing  _ on top _ of the calm-ish water. My eyes widened. This was surreal. We must've been a few hundred feet from the land. 

"Are you enjoying Neverland now more than you were before?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, it's astonishing here," I replied. 

He grinned and that's when I saw how truly tired he looked. His eyes had deep, dark circles under them and his posture wasn't as perfect as it always was. He was lazily gripping my hand and his blinking lasted a second longer with each blink.

"You need some sleep," I said.

"I can stay awake a little longer," he said.

"Uh uh, nope. We're going back and you're going to sleep," I said. He playfully frowned at me.

"Must we?" He asked 

"Yes," I said. "C'mon, let's go."

We flew back to his hut in silence. We flew slower, what with him not having much energy. It took only ten minutes to get back because of a short cut we took. 

When we arrived, I saw the Lost Boys all sleeping in hammocks that were strewn about the outside of the clearing. Just like I had predicted before, one was awake to keep watch. 

I looked for Henry and saw him in his own hammock, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Thank God he was okay.

We landed with a soft thud back on the soil. As I landed, my legs gave out from underneath me. Peter was quick to help me up.

"You'll get used to that sooner or later, sweetheart," Peter whispered. 

We walked up to his hut and he opened the door for us. We stepped in and Peter immediately went for the bed. I chuckled.

"At least take your shoes off first before you get in," I said. 

He grumbled but did as I suggested. He slipped the blanket over him and patted the empty spot next to him. 

"I'm not sure I trust sleeping next to you," I said. He sighed and propped his head onto his hand.

"But you'll trust me when I give you a vial of pixie dust and say you'll be able to fly?" He said. "Or, think about it this way, you're in just as much danger sleeping here as you are sleeping out in the woods." He did have a point. 

"Alright, fine," I said as I put my shoes over by the door and got under the blankets.

"Good night, Y/n," he said.

"Good night, Peter," I replied as I was falling asleep.


	3. Chap. 3

I woke up to the firelight streaming through the wooden blinds on the window behind the bed. I brought my hand up to rub my eyes and yawned. I looked over to the wall on the right of me. 11:30, _way_ too early to be up after last night's adventure. I closed my eyes again, trying to sleep some more.

"No, don't go back to sleep, it's time to get up," a voice said.

I quickly opened my eyes, turned my head to the right, and saw Peter sitting beside me on the bed. To say I flinched would be an understatement. I fell off of the bed, tangled in the blankets.

"Holy hell!" I shrieked. Peter was, of course, laughing hysterically. "It's not funny," I muttered.

"Well _that_ certainly made my day a lot better," he said. 

I untangled myself from the blankets, stood up, and tossed the blankets back on the bed. I crossed my arms and glared at him, which made him laugh harder.

I- you- ugh," I said. Peter's laughter died down. "You are so mean."

"Maybe just a little bit," he shrugged. I went to sit back on the bed. "But we need to go outside, the Lost Boys should be waking up any minute." 

"Okay hold on, do you guys ever take showers here? Brush your teeth? Change clothes? Any essentials like that?" I asked. He raised one of his eyebrows.

"Of course we do. The lavatory is right over there," he said as he pointed to a door behind him. "And if you need anything, just think of the item and you'll get it. Neverland gives you pretty much anything you want."

"Okay, thank you," I said and walked over to the restroom.

\---

It was an hour later when I finally finished getting ready. I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. I looked so much more refreshed. 

I was wearing a short-sleeved, off the shoulder, dark green crop top and short, black ripped jeans shorts with black converse. I also had a white choker on with a small pearl dangling on it. My makeup was simple, foundation, concealer, blush, mascara, a light-colored lipstick, and a touch of highlight. 

I looked over myself once more, making sure everything was alright before walking out of the restroom and outside to the front of the hut. When I stepped out, I was greeted with the fire from the small fire pit shining brightly over the small clearing. 

I saw Peter and Henry talking to one another in a casual conversation. I looked around at everything. The Lost Boys were talking to each other, some walking around, others sitting on the ground or logs. 

I heard birds chirping and there was a gentle hum of the wind. The leaves of the trees blew softly as the wind coursed over them. I looked back over at Peter and Henry and saw that Henry went off to sit down and Peter was looking over at me. He waved. I walked over to him, not knowing what else to do.

"Look who finally decided to come outside," he said. I playfully rolled my eyes.

"The 'mornings' are a vital part of my day," I said.

"Mhm," he hummed. "You look beautiful in green."

"Thank you," I said. 

"But I think you'd look more beautiful in this," he said. 

Then, in his hand appeared a flower crown with small, white roses. He gently placed it atop my head. He softly grabbed my chin and lifted it.

"Yep. It suits you," he said.

"Thank you again," I said as he let go of my chin. 

"Of course," he said. "Anything for you, m'lady." He backed up and bowed. I gave a small laugh.

"Oh, one question," I said.

"Yes?" He asked.

"How- how do you deal with it being night all the time?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I guess I've just gotten used to it," he said.

We decided to walk around the campground a little bit, not knowing what else to do. We talked about a little bit of everything. We mainly talked about our lives before meeting each other. Then, we talked about last night.

"Did you enjoy yesterday's exploit?" He asked. 

"What do you think?" I said. "Of course I did. It was… magical."

"Everything in Neverland is magical," he said.

"No- I mean, it was different. It was _special_. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I've never flown before but… but it was amazing," I said. He smiled and I couldn't help but smile back. 

"Well, luckily for you, the pixie dust stays on you for a few months," he said. 

"Really?" I asked. He nodded.

"It's ingrained into your skin and nothing can get it out," he said. "It's just a matter of waiting for it to get out itself."

I took a minute to process that information. So, what he was saying was, I could fly anytime I want. I thought that was awesome. 

"That's so cool! Thank you!" I said and pulled him into a hug without thinking. 

He hugged me back and by his posture, I could tell he was mildly confused but went along with it. After we released he was giving me an amused look.

"What?" I asked.

"It's just- you haven't hugged me until now," he said. 

"Well, maybe that's because we've only known each other for two days," I pointed out. His eyebrows raised. I didn't add in the part of the whole _kidnapping_ thing because I didn't want to ruin the moment.

"Has it only been _two days_?" He said. "That's insane. It feels like more." 

"I know," I huffed.

\---

The day passed by quickly and before I knew it, dawn was making its way through the sky. I was sitting on the roof of Peter's hut, looking at all the constellations when I saw his shadow come flying through the air and land in front of Peter on the ground. They started talking and I moved closer to the edge to hear them.

"Have you forgotten about the alternative?" The shadow asked. Alternative?

"Wh- do you think _she's_ …" Peter said. 

My eyes squinted as I focused on their conversation. What the hell were they talking about?

"I can't say for sure, but it's always a good idea to test it," Shadow said. Peter scoffed.

"I don't need to test it when I already know," Peter said. "It's not Y/n."

Shadow just shook his head and flew off, leaving Peter alone. I went back to my original spot and pretended like I didn't hear a word they had said. Peter joined me a second later.

"How's your day going?" He asked as he sat down. I shrugged.

"Not bad, kinda enjoying the lazy day," I said. "I've gotten to talk with Henry quite a lot, so that's nice."

"I'm glad," he said. "Y'know, Neverland's been more interesting since you got here."

"More like since you kidnapped me," I laughed. His eyebrows furrowed in an unapproving manner. "I'm kidding. But in all seriousness, you did kidnap me."

"I have to ensure you won't help your group find out where Henry is," he said. "It's all part of the game."

"A game that, just after the second day, is getting really tiring, Pete," I said.

"Oh, please don't call me Pete," he said. 

"Why?" I asked. 

"I hate that nickname," he said and I laughed.

"Pete, Pete, Pete," I teased. He groaned. 

"I hate you so much," he said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh you do, do you?" I said. 

"Yes, so so _so_ much," he said with a grin. 

"Mhm, sure," I said. "Prove it."

He thought for a minute before shaking his head. "Okay, you win. I don't hate you." 

"I knew it," I mused. 

We were silent for a moment more before Peter spoke up.

"I'm sorry for kidnapping you and Henry," Peter said. 

I looked at him, trying to see if he was being serious or not. I searched over his face for any sign but I couldn't find anything. He was really good at hiding his emotions when we wanted to. 

I shrugged. "Will you let us go at some point?"

"Why do you want to leave so badly? You can have anything you want here," he said, dodging my question. I huffed.

"I want my family. I want to go back to Storybrooke and grow up. I want to live my life, Peter," I said.

"I never had a family," Peter said. I waited for him to go on but it took him a moment. "Not really. They didn't love me, so I ran away. I've been here ever since."

I looked into his eyes. He held no sign of emotion, just as before. I held out my hand and he took it. That's when I saw his shoulders slightly relax. I guess he never really told anyone that.

"You wanna talk about it?" I asked.

"No," he said. "I'm going to go start the fire."

And just like that, he was gone. I looked over the edge of the roof and saw him down there, lighting the fire. This made all of the Lost Boys excited. 

I searched for Henry in the crowd and saw him lying down behind a tree. He looked to be asleep. Now, why would he sleep there, of all places? Then, I saw Peter walking up to him, an apple in hand. This piqued my interest so I jumped off the roof of the cottage and got closer to hear what Peter was going to say to him. 

Peter 'cuckooed' at Henry to wake him up but Henry was still asleep.

"Wake up," Peter said and that's when Henry heard him. Slowly, Henry rose so that he was facing Peter. "Catch," Peter said as he tossed the apple at Henry.

Henry just looked at the apple as it rolled towards him. "I don't like apples."

"Who doesn't like apples?" Peter said. Oh, if only he knew. 

"It's a family thing," Henry said. Peter chuckled and knelt down to Henry's level.

"Well don't worry, they're not for eating. It's for a kind of game. A really fun game," Peter said and raised a bow and arrow at Henry. My eyes widened. "I call it target practice."

I rushed over to the both of them.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked. Peter looked up at me.

"Y/n! I think you're going to love this show. It's okay, Henry's going to be alright," Peter said. I glared at him.

"Get that out of his face," I threatened. Peter stood up and took the bow and arrow out of Henry's face.

"I'm not going to hurt him," Peter said.

"You got that right," I stepped closer to him until we were only a few inches apart. "because if you do, I will make sure your blood paints a beautiful painting along the ground." 

"Very scary," he murmured before booping my nose. I glared at him. "Just watch, sweetheart."

Peter got up, went a little more into the clearing, and beckoned one of the Lost Boys over who held a small bottle of black ink. Peter took the arrow and dipped it in the bottle.

"What's that?" Henry asked. 

"Dreamshade it's a nasty poison," Peter said. I looked at him strangely and moved closer to Henry. "Don't worry, Y/n. Just trust me."

"Alright, but I'm keeping an eye on you," I said. Peter winked at me. 

"We have a story here of a man who once shot an apple off his son's head with an arrow," Peter said as he put the arrow on the bow. "Let's find out if it's possible."

"If… you're shooting at the apple, what's the poison for?" Henry asked. 

"Motivation not to miss," Peter said as he tested out the bow. "Felix! Get over here." 

A blonde-haired boy with a scar on his face walked over. My anticipation grew with every second.

"Is- is Felix good? Is his aim good?" Henry stuttered. I put my hand on his shoulder for comfort.

"Doesn't matter, you're the one doing the shooting," Peter said as he handed the bow and arrow to Henry. I sighed in relief.

"Thank God," I whispered under my breath.

"I told you to trust me, darling," he said. 

"I don't- I don't wanna shoot," Henry said. 

Peter ignored him and tossed the apple to Felix. Felix backed up and the lost boys started chanting, "shoot, shoot, shoot" over and over again. Peter pulled me away from Henry and to his side. I gave Henry a sorry look. It was better not to get on Peter's bad side at the moment.

"You won't hit him," Peter said. "Trust yourself, go on. It's exhilarating!" 

Felix put the apple on his head and Henry steadied the weapon. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the aftermath of if he did miss. When the click of the bow and arrow sounded, I flinched slightly before opening my eyes again. Peter held the arrow in one hand, a smile on his face.

"Told you it was exhilarating," Peter said as he walked forward to Henry. "Come on, I have something to show you." He looked back. "Don't worry, Y/n, he's in safe hands."

"Bullshit," I said. 

" _Trust me_ ," he said. "You've done it a few times before, so please do it once again."

I sighed but let them walk away. I eyed Peter with suspicion. I trusted him when it came to my life, but to anyone else's lives? There wasn't a chance in Hell.


	4. Chap. 4

It had been two days since the incident. It was my fourth day in Neverland and I was actually kind of enjoying it here. Henry believes Pan more than ever even with my attempts at trying to make him believe otherwise.

The only problem was, however, was the fact that even  _ I _ didn't know what to believe. One minute, Peter's acting all sweet and kind and the next he's sneaking off or putting Henry in dangerous situations. 

He hasn't mentioned anything about an alternative and I haven't asked him about it. I've opted, however, on focusing on the positives of each day, rather than the negatives. 

It was mid-day right now and Peter had left early in the morning. He wasn't expected to be back until any minute now, so I decided to choose this day to read. 

I was laying on a tree branch that overlooked the camp and reading one of my favorite stories. That was until someone decided it was pretty funny to shoot an arrow at my book. I watched as my book flew toward a branch next to mine with the arrow sticking out of it.

"Really?" I said. The culprit just laughed. I jumped off the branch and walked up to the boy. "What's so funny about what you just did? Please,  _ enlighten me _ ."

"I- I was just hav-ing a bit of f-fun," he wheezed. 

"You know, if you had missed, that arrow could've killed me," I said. 

"Aw, does it look like I care?" He mocked, still laughing.

I pulled my dagger out of its holder and held it to his throat. He stopped laughing almost immediately. 

"Why do you look so worried?" I whispered while circling him, my dagger lightly tracing his neck. "I'm just having a bit of fun."

I stopped right in front of him and grinned. I brought the dagger so that it was right under his chin. He gulped and I dug the dagger into his skin a little bit, not wanting to cut him too deep. Just enough to scare him. 

He flinched and closed his eyes. "Please don't hurt me," he said, his voice shaking.

"You're pathetic, you know that?" I said. He let out a shaky breath. "I want you to say sorry." 

He didn't do anything other than whimper slightly. Was this really the type of people Peter brought to this island? I mentally scoffed. Peter could've done so much better. 

"We don't say sorry in Neverland," one of the Lost Boys said.

"Well, I don't care," I said. I roughly grabbed the Lost Boy that shot an arrow at me by the hair and rearranged the dagger so that the tip was on the side of his neck. "Say it."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, alright?!" He sobbed. "Please doh- don't kill me, I- I don't want to die."

I took the dagger off of his neck and put it back in its holder. I looked at him smugly.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" I asked. He shook his head frantically. 

"What's going on?" I didn't even need to turn around to know it was Peter who asked the question.

"Just a little disagreement, but it's all settled, now," I said and turned around. "Nothing to worry about, Peter."

He gestured with his hand for me to move away from the Lost Boy. I took a step back and watched as he walked over. He grabbed the boy's chin and lifted to check for the cut. Peter scoffed and took his hand away from the boy.

"Stop your blubbering, it's hardly a scratch," Peter said. The boy tried to calm his crying.

"She- she was gonna kill muh- me," the boy said. I gave him a weird look.

"Is that true?" Peter asked.

"Of course not. I was just trying to scare him a bit," I said. " _ He _ was the one who almost killed  _ me _ ."

Peter rounded on the boy and glowered at him. 

"What did you do to her?" He asked angrily. The boy's eyes widened and backed up a bit.

"I was- I just- Pan, listen I didn't mean-" the boy tried to say. Peter raised his eyebrows, waiting for a response. "I was just trying to be funny, I- I didn't actually mean to try and kih-kill her."

"What. Did. You. Do." Peter said, his voice deepening. 

"What does it matter? I m-mean, you-you're always down for a bit of v-violence," the boy said. 

"Yes, for you Lost Boys, but last time I checked, she is  _ not _ a Lost Boy," Peter said. "So tell me what the hell you did."

The boy's eyes darted back and forth between Peter and I. This was going a bit too far.

"It's fine, Peter, it's all been taken care of," I said.

"No. They know not to touch you," Peter said, still looking at the boy. 

"What?" I asked, taken aback. Peter turned back to me, his expression turning back to normal.

"I told them not to do anything to you. They all promised they wouldn't," Peter said. 

I stared at him, trying to think of what to say next. "You didn't need to tell them that. I am my own person. I can handle it myself."

"Right, but I doubt they would listen to you," Peter said. I was about to open my mouth to argue but he held up a finger. "Obviously,  _ one _ of them can hardly listen to me and I'm their leader. The Lost Boys couldn't care less about you, darling." 

I held my tongue, wanting the conversation to just end. He turned away from me and dragged the boy away. I backed up until I was leaning against the tree. I sighed as I ran my hand over my face. Could this day get any worse?

\---

Apparently, yes, it could get worse. The Lost Boys were all dancing around the fire as Peter talked to Henry. I sat up in the tree I was in earlier and watched them all. I wondered how they were so okay with leaving their families and staying here with Peter for their whole lives. There had to be something going on, right? Did he put a spell on them?

I watched as Peter made his way to a tree stump next to the fire and sit down to watch the boys. The firelight hit his face perfectly. It darkened and highlighted his face in all the right places and made his eyes sparkle like the stars. I had to admit, he did look quite beautiful.

I watched as his eyes roamed over all the boys as they danced. He looked truly happy to be there, to watch them have the time of their lives. I was about to jump down off the tree and go over to Henry when all of a sudden it felt like there was a gust of wind and I fell into a dreamless sleep.

\---

When I awoke, I saw Peter looking  _ very, very _ angry. I touched my palm to my forehead, trying to regain my self-awareness. My whole body had a slight ache to it. 

Groaning, I got into a sitting position and took a few deep breaths before jumping out of the tree. I looked around and saw the Lost Boys getting up from the ground and into standing positions. My eyes wandered around the camo, looking for Henry and when I couldn't find him, I freaked out.

"Where's Henry?" I panicked. 

Peter ran a hand through his hair and shut his eyes. What a fantastic answer. 

"Peter," I said. "Where's Henry?"

He opened his eyes before replying. "They took him." 

"Who? Who took him?" I asked as I walked over to Peter. No answer. "Peter, who took him?"

"It doesn't matter because we're going to get him back," Peter said. "Boys! Come on, we've got a long journey ahead of us. Gather your weapons, everyone!"

With that, we were off. I tried to ask Peter who took Henry a few times but he didn't answer me or kept changing the topic. I gave up after a while. 

As we walked down the winding paths that twisted throughout Neverland, Peter kept me as close to him as possible. I felt trapped, in a sense. Every time I tried to put some distance between us, he kept pulling me back. I just gave up on that too. 

We walked for maybe an hour and Peter wouldn't tell us anything that happened or what we were going to do. All he said was 'stay sharp.' With each minute that passed, suspicion crept in. I tried searching his features for any sort of answer but all the emotion he held was anger. 

A spark of hope lighted in my heart. Maybe it was Emma and everyone who got Henry back. Maybe he was finally safe. But I knew he wasn't going to be safe for long. Not while Peter was this mad. I knew he was going to do everything in his power to get Henry back. 

It was thirty minutes in when we finally got to a clearing and Peter told us to hide in the shadows and bushes. I watched the clearing, waiting for something. For anything. That's when I saw it, a rumbling in the bushes in front of us. My breathing stopped as I waited for whatever it was to walk out.

Then, the leaves were pulled back and in walked a man carrying Henry over his shoulder. It took me a moment before I realized who the man was. It was Neal. He was alive and breathing. My eyes widened and I tried to run out of my spot but Peter roughly pulled me back. 

I tried to call Neal's name but no sound came out. I looked toward Peter but he was just looking at me with a grin. There was a lump in my throat as I tried to keep the tears back. My eyes went back to watching Neal.

Neal set Henry down in the ground and went over to feel the fire pit. "Emma," he muttered. A smile formed on his face.

Peter got up and dragged me with him to the clearing. The Lost Boys all got up from the hiding spots to join us.

"You were so close to finding her," Peter said. 

Neal quickly turned around and saw us. By now, the tears had fallen. I looked at Neal desperately, wishing that I could just  _ talk _ to him. Neal looked around him at the Lost Boys before looking back to us.

"Y/n?" Neal asked. I gave him a soft, reassuring smile and wiped away my tears but more just flowed.

"You disappoint me. I thought I taught you better. Never break in somewhere unless you know the way out," Peter said. Neal turned back to us.

"I'll remember that for next time," Neal said.

"Well, there isn't going to be a next time," Peter said. "But don't blame yourself. Your father could have protected you out here, sure. But then who would've protected Henry from him?"

I looked at Peter questionably. What the hell did he mean? Peter just ignored my stare.

"Talk about a rock in a hard place," Peter said. 

Then, as if Neal had suddenly got courage, he strutted over to Peter, slightly glaring at him. 

"I will get my son back, no matter what it takes," Neal said. "And Y/n, I will get you out of here, too, don't worry." Somehow, I knew that was going to be near impossible. 

I looked at Neal for a moment before closing my eyes. When I opened them, Peter was talking again.

"You're not getting it. That's not the problem. You got him, I got him back," Peter said as he gestured between him and Neal with his free hand. "It's the game! And you're sure as hell not getting Y/n."

Dammit.

"No, my boy. The real problem for you is there's no escaping Neverland. No one gets off this island without  _ my _ permission," Peter said, his voice barely above a whisper, now. 

"I've done it before," Neal sassed with a smile. 

"Did you?" Peter said, his voice back to a normal level. He looked Neal up and down before continuing. "Look where you are now, it's like you never left."

"You saying you let me go?" Neal asked.

"I'm saying everyone's where I want them," Peter answered. Henry groaned as he started to wake up over Felix's shoulders. My heart skipped with hope. Peter quickly looked over at Henry and then back at Neal. "Something to chew on."

Dammit, dammit, dammit. How the hell are we supposed to get out of this situation, now? 

"You know where to take him," Peter said.

I watched as the Lost Boys came up behind Neal and grabbed him. My face held a silent apology to him. Felix carried him away as the Lost Boys did the same with Neal.

"No! Henry! Y/n!" Neal yelled.

I opened my mouth and yelled out Neal's name but then I remembered I couldn't speak. I took a deep breath and looked down. 

"Oh, don't worry, it won't be for very long," Peter said to Neal, his voice rising slightly. 

"I'm alive!" Neal tried calling out to Henry.

"Just until I've reset the board," Peter said, ignoring Neal's yells. "See, the game is about to change."

Peter turned us around and I could hear Neal's promises to Henry and me. I looked back at Neal, my face full of fresh tears. All I did was shake my head at him and mouth,  _ it's too late _ .

Peter led us back to the campsite, not letting go of me the whole way. When we got back, I was finally able to speak. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked, shoving him. 

He stared at me in interest. He had a smile on and his eyes wandered over my face. He stepped closer to me and held my face in his hands. 

"I couldn't let you ruin the game, darling," he muttered. "That wouldn't be any fun at all."

I moved my head so that he wasn't holding my face anymore. "You are  _ insane _ !"

"Maybe," he said. "But let's not worry about that right now. Oh, and not one word to Henry about what just happened or I take your ability to speak, again. Understood?"

I looked at him, my mind all over the place. This was bad. Whatever Peter needed Henry for wasn't to just save magic. It was for something bigger and I was going to do everything I could to make Henry believe. I just needed to play along for the time being.

"Fine," I agreed.

"I'm glad we're on the same page," he said as he walked away. "I think you'll soon see that this place isn't so bad." I highly doubted that.

My eyes followed his retreating back. I watched as he knelt down in front of a waking Henry. My plans can begin in a few hours. For now, I just needed to sleep.


	5. Chap. 5

I awoke to the sounds of someone softly humming. I looked around me trying to spot the person humming. I sat up in the bed and looked across the room. It was Peter. He had his back turned to me and seemed to be sketching something at the table. 

"Peter?" I asked. He turned around and smiled.

"You're awake," he said.

"I am," I replied. 

"Are you still mad at me?" Peter asked. 

I thought for a moment, trying to think of the best response. Of course I was still mad, but I couldn't let him know that.

"No, I forgive you," I said. His face brightened.

"Wonderful!" he said.

I yawned before speaking again. "What are you drawing?" 

He grabbed the paper off the desk, walked over to me, and hopped onto the bed. He handed me the paper and I looked over it. It was a picture of him playing his flute as the Lost Boys danced around him.

"Wow, it's beautiful," I said as I handed the paper back to him.

"Thank you. I like to draw in my free time," he said. "Now, why don't we go join everyone for breakfast?"

"Give me a minute to get ready," I said.

"More like sixty," Peter chuckled. I picked up one of the pillows on the bed and threw it at him.

"Out!" I declared as I pointed to the door. He stood up from the bed and cocked his head to the side.

"You're kicking me out of my own hut?" He asked, now laughing.

"Yes, now go," I said, still pointing at the door. 

He walked to the door, waving as he opened it. I watched him step out and as the door closed, I sunk back into the bed. Another five minutes of sleep couldn't hurt.

\---

It was, akin to Peter's joke, about an hour later when I joined everyone. When I stepped out, Peter was there, next to the door. He gave me a smirk.

"And I was just about to come and check on you," Peter said. I rolled my eyes.

"I slept for an extra thirty minutes," I justified. "And of course you know how long my routine takes."

Peter just stared at me sweetly. That's a bit weird, especially for him. But was it really? I thought back to all of the simple gestures. The hand holding, the reassurance, the comfort. Did he…? No, he couldn't.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter," he said. 

"Um, okay," I said. 

I looked around the campground, searching for Neal. I walked around, looking anywhere for where he might be, Peter trailing me. If I find Neal, I could leave hints for Henry to find him and we could help him escape. Together.

"If you're looking for Baelfire, you won't find him," Peter said. 

"I'm not-"

"I know that look. You always have it whenever you search for Henry," Peter said as he leaned against a tree in front of me with his arms crossed. 

I sighed. "Where's Neal? Or- or Baelfire, whatever. Just tell me where he is."

Peter grinned slightly and raised his eyebrows.

"I wouldn't bother looking. He's nowhere near here," he said.

"I won't give up until I find him," I said and turned around to walk away.

Peter appeared in front of me, he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and he leveled his face closer to mine so that when I looked at him, all I could see were his eyes. I stood there and stared, waiting for him to speak.

"If you go looking for him, I'll make sure you'll regret coming here," Peter said.

"I already regret that," I scoffed. "Nice try."

"I don't think you do," Peter said. I rolled my eyes but I knew he was right. "I'll make sure you won't get to see Henry again. I'll lock him up in one of the cages and put him in a place where you'll never find him. Just like Baelfire," Peter said.

"You wouldn't," I said.

"What makes you so sure?" He asked.

"Because," I said. "Because you need him."

"Oh, I could still get to him, but you wouldn't be able to." He winked and unwrapped his arms as he took a step back. "Your choice, Y/n. Choose wisely."

With that, he was off. He ventured towards the Lost Boys, not looking back once. I closed my eyes in anger and sighed. Dammit. I guess I couldn't subtly lead Henry to Neal if I didn't know where he was. And I can't just look for him because Peter's threats were never empty. I opened my eyes and went to the tree where Peter stood and I decided to sit down on the floor. This wasn't a great start to the day.

I brought my knees up to my chest, set the side of my face on them and wrapped my arms around my legs. I hoped upon everything that maybe someday, and that day being soon, we could get out of here. Henry, my dad, Neal, Emma, Regina, Mary, David, Rumple, and I. But then, a voice in the back of my head asked me a question. 'What about Peter?' 

What about him? He kidnapped Henry and me. He's planning on taking Henry's heart for whatever reason. And yet, my heart sunk just a little bit at the thought of leaving him behind on this island. I had a stupid motto. 'The only people who are past helping are the ones that are given up on by everyone.' 

I hadn't given up on Peter. Not yet. Maybe everyone else has, but not me. Every time I thought maybe I should, maybe it _was_ too late, I thought about his life. He was never loved and probably just wanted someone to, at the very least, _care_ . For _years_ no one truly cared about him. Sure, there were the Lost Boys, but they mainly just respected him. Who would pass up the opportunity to have someone feel something for them? No one, that's who. 

In order to help him, I had to put my anger away for the time being. I had to show him that someone was there for him. Maybe that was the best solution. Who knows, too. Maybe he'll let everyone go. Or maybe he won't, but at least I tried.

I got up from my position and made my way over to the Lost Boys. Peter was there in his usual spot, playing the flute. That's when I realized, even over the laughter of the Lost Boys, I couldn't hear it. Maybe it was only meant to be heard by boys. Or maybe it was a different reason. Whatever that reason was, it didn't matter right now. What mattered was taking small steps to accomplish my goal. Helping Peter.

I stood away from the Lost Boys, looking at Peter. He paid no attention to me, too busy watching the Lost Boys. He looked so calm and _happy_ as he always did watching the Lost Boys dance around him. From time to time, he would even laugh with them. It was sweet. I knew he wasn't fully gone yet, not while he had that look on his face. The look everybody should have on their face. Bliss. Pure bliss.

He looked away from the Lost Boys and over to me, making eye contact. I smiled at him and I saw his face light up even more than it already was. He got up and set his flute down. The Lost Boys continued to dance, lost in their own minds. He made his way through them until he stood right in front of me.

"Did you need something?" He asked. I shook my head before changing my mind and nodding.

"Actually yes," I said. He raised his eyebrows, waiting for me to continue. "I don't like when we argue. It's no fun and Neverland's supposed to be a place for fun, right?"

"Right," he agreed. "So what are you saying?" 

"I'm saying that obviously there must be a good reason for all of this and Henry seems to be on board with it all," I said. "And while I may not agree with everything you do, can we just put this all behind us? For now, at least?"

"We can absolutely put all of this behind us. I also like it when we get along," Peter said. "But just like that, you're suddenly fine with everything?"

Shit.

"Yes, surprisingly, I am," I said. He raised an eyebrow. "I promise, Peter."

"I hope so because I don't like false promises," he said. I playfully rolled my eyes at him and he chuckled. "Dance with me."

I gave him a look. "There's no music."

"Yes, and the Lost Boys are dancing without any music." He held out his hand. "Dance with me."

I took his hand and he put his other hand on my waist. I put my free hand on his shoulder and he pulled me closer until our chests were touching. Leaving no room for Jesus, I see. It took everything in my power to not laugh at that thought. 

We danced around in the small area, looking each other in the eyes and not looking away once. It took my mind off of everything, much like the flying did. For some reason, it didn't even matter just _who_ I was dancing with. 

"Why?" I asked him. He cocked his head to this side and he furrowed his eyebrows in a questionable manner. "Why did you want to dance with me?"

"Why not?" He shrugged. "I'd say we're friends, now and this is what friends do, right?" 

_Friends_. That simple word made my heart stop for just a second. I didn't know what to make of it. Were we friends? Not necessarily, no. But we weren't enemies. We couldn't be or else my goal would fail. Not enemies but also not friends.

But then, why did all of this feel so natural? So… right? He's put Henry in danger multiple times and done who knows what to Neal… and yet, yet I was enjoying every moment of this. Were we friends?

I breathed out a laugh, "Uh- yeah, yeah I think so." 

\---

It was an hour or so later when the camp was quiet. I was sitting in bed, reading a book, trying to keep my mind busy. The Lost Boys had all settled down and were now just milling about. It had been a while since I saw Henry or Peter so of course, I was quickly growing suspicious. 

After a while of waiting, I was about to open the door when I heard Peter's voice. 

"My brothers!" He yelled. "Tonight, the dream of Neverland will awaken from its slumber. Tonight, the heart of the truest believer shall fulfill its destiny and with it, our destiny."

Oh God, this wasn't good. I almost opened the door to barge out before I stopped myself. No, I had to be smart about this. I had to let him think he was winning.

"Tonight, Henry saves magic!" He yelled and the Lost Boys cheered. 

Dammit, dammit, dammit. I waited a minute, listening for anything else but there was nothing. I cracked the door open a sliver, searching for Peter or Henry but they were gone. 

I stepped out, ready to run and look for them. Until I was met with a sword to my throat. My eyes widened and I held my hands up in surrender.

"There's no Pan to save you, now," the Lost Boy said. 

"Wait, you're-" I said, realization dawning on me.

"Yeah, I am," he said. "I'm that boy that you almost killed." I rolled my eyes.

"I wasn't even planning on killing you," I said. "Oh, god, I could never. I just wanted to scare ya a little."

"Well, now it's my tur-" he suddenly dropped to the floor, seeming to be asleep. 

"What the hell?" I said and lowered my arms. 

That's when I noticed them. Everyone. I took a deep breath. Was this real? Were they finally here? I looked around at all of them and counted. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7… yes! And 8?

They were searching, supposedly for Peter and Henry. Then, I locked eyes with one of the members of the group.

"Dad!" I yelled and ran towards him.

He held out his arms and I embraced him. My heart pounded with shock and happiness. I was crying but I didn't care. They were here, they were all here. 

"You're alive, you're okay," he said as he pulled back. 

"Yeah," I said. "I'm more than okay."

I looked around at the others and saw them all staring back. One by one, I hugged all of them. 

"Did he hurt you? Did Pan hurt you?" Mary asked and I shook my head.

"No, no he was very sweet. A little temperamental at times but he never hurt me," I said. "He didn't hurt Henry, either. But- but I heard him talking to the Lost Boys. He's gonna take his heart soon."

"Help!" Someone cried out. A girl's voice. 

I turned around as Emma ran over to the voice. Neal soon followed behind her. 

"He didn't hurt you?" My dad asked. "At all?"

I thought for a minute. "I- well he did take my voice at some point but there was no physical harm." I sighed.

"What was it like when you were here?" Mary asked. I smiled, thinking back on the memories.

"It was magical, at times. Other times it was a little scary but… I wouldn't change what happened for the world," I said.

\---

The adults interrogated the girl, who I learned was named Wendy. She looked maybe fourteen. How had I not seen her around before? Did she just arrive not too long ago?

"Where is he?" Rumple said. 

He pulled out a sword and started to make his way over to Wendy. David went to stop Rumple from getting closer to her. This piqued my interest. 

"What're you doin'?" Neal asked as he helped David keep Rumple away.

"I've carried enough lies in my life to recognize that burden," Rumple said. "She knows where Henry is!"

"Is that true?" Neal asked.

"You don't understand," Wendy said. 

"You're helping Pan?" Mary spoke up.

"He's keeping John and Michael alive, only if I do as he says," Wendy said. 

John and Michael. They must be important to her.

"Why should I trust you guys?" Wendy asked.

"Because your brothers did. They trusted a woman named Belle. They helped her get this box so we can defeat Pan," Regina said.

"They're okay?" Wendy asked, her eyes lighting with hope.

"For now. And only if we succeed," Rumple said.

"Wendy." Neal knelt down in front of her. "We will save John and Michael, I swear to God. But right now, I really need your help. Please."

"Pan told Henry that… he needs his heart to save magic," Wendy said. "But it's a lie. He needs it to save himself."

"I fucking knew it was a lie," I muttered. 

"What do you mean?" Neal asked Wendy.

"Pans dying. He needs the heart of the truest believer to absorb all the magic in Neverland," Wendy said. "And once he does. He will be immortal. All powerful."

Well, _this_ wasn't what I was expecting.

"And what happens to Henry?" Mary asked.

"Well, it's a trade. When Pan lives, Henry will die," Wendy said. 

"What about the alternative?" I asked. This got everyone to look at me.

"What?" Regina asked.

"The alternative. I don't know what it is, but- but I heard him and his shadow talking about it," I said. "I heard my name pop up in the conversation."

"Interesting," Regina muttered

"How do we stop Pan?" David asked.

"Pan took Henry to Skull Rock but we haven't got much time," Wendy said. 

"Then we have to stay behind. Someone needs to be here to guard the Lost Boys when they wake up," David said. 

"You don't need to stay behind," Emma said. 

"David's right. You get him home, tell him we love him," Mary said. 

"Tell him yourself when you get back from Deadman's Peak," Emma said. "Gold can cure you in Storybrooke, we just need to bring back some of the water with us."

"Yeah, what? What happened?" I asked. 

"That's a story for a different time," David said. 

Then, it was decided who was all going. My dad, Tink, that was the 8th person's name, Mary, and David were all staying behind. I got up, ready to go to my dad before someone spoke up.

"Y/n, you're coming with us," Regina said. 

"No the bloody hell she's not," my dad said. I looked between the two. 

"We need her because of the alternative. What if it can guarantee Henry living?" Regina said. 

"This is my daughter's life you're putting at risk!" My dad raised his voice.

"And my son's life is already at risk!" Regina yelled back.

"Guys!" Emma yelled, getting their attention. We all turned to her. "As much as I hate to have two lives at stake, I agree with Regina. Maybe Y/n really can help us. But we need to move fast."

My dad sighed but eventually gave in. He brought me into a quick hug. "You be careful, alright?" He said.

"Of course I will," I said. 

"Come on, let's go," Neal said.


	6. Chap. 6

It took us only around ten minutes to get to Skull Rock. The whole boat ride over I was worried about what was going to happen next. What if it was already too late? 

I watched the water as it sparkled. It reminded me of my first night here, of the adventure I was taken on. It reminded me of Peter.

 _Peter_. What was going to happen to him? If his plan fails, obviously he was going to die. If his plan succeeds… Henry dies. I knew that no matter what, I would choose Henry over Peter any day. Henry was like a brother to me. 

But a part of me still didn't want Peter to die. If he did, I'd have let him down. And maybe, as crazy as it sounded, I did care for him. Truly. I closed my eyes, already feeling a headache coming on. This wasn't going well. None of this was going well. 

I felt the boat stop moving and I opened my eyes. We were at Skull Rock already. We all got off of the boat and onto the land. The world felt like it was slowly slipping away from me. My heart hurt and my mind was busy with worry. 

"Y/n," Regina said. I looked up. "It's going to be okay. We're going to get Henry back."

"Yeah, I know," I mumbled. 

"These are Henry's shoes," Emma said, looking at the ground. "Wendy was right. They're here."

She then walked over to enter Skull Rock but she was cast backward. 

"Are you okay?" Neal asked, helping Emma up from the ground.

"I think so," Emma said.

"What was that?" Neal asked.

Rumple spoke up. "Pan cast a protection spell."

"There has to be a way to break it," Regina said.

She tried to use a magic fireball on it but it bounced off. We all ducked and I heard Neal yell, "Careful with that!"

"We need to get in there," I said, starting to freak out.

"Hey, hey, hey," Emma said, rushing over to me to pull me in a hug. "We'll find a way, I promise."

"Try all you want but Pan's magic is too powerful," Rumple said. "At least for you." He pointed at Regina.

Rumple walked into the spell and was able to pass through freely. My eyes widened.

"Wh-" Regina said.

"Excuse me?" I said.

"How did you do that?" Emma asked.

"The spell is designed to keep anyone who casts a shadow from entering," Rumple said.

"And you don't have one," Neal said as he walked closer to the group. "You were telling the truth about ripping your shadow off."

"And Pan knows it," Rumple said. "That's why he cast the spell he did. This isn't about keeping you out, it's about drawing me in. He knows I won't give up the chance to finish what I came here to do."

"You really did come here to save Henry," Neal said. 

I furrowed my eyebrows. Was he planning on hurting Henry earlier?

"I gave you my trust with that box. Now I need you to give it back," Rumple said as he held out his hand.

Neal was about to hand it to Rumple but Regina snatched it away.

"Hey!" Neal said.

Regina walked closer to Rumple. "You better come through, Gold or I'll make whatever Pan has planned for you look like child's play. You understand me?" 

Rumple smiled. "Well a simple 'good luck' would've sufficed," Rumple said as he took the box out of Regina's hand And walked up the stairs that led to the entrance.

"Well, what are we supposed to do now?" Regina asked.

"What about the spell my father used to rip off his shadow?" Neal asked. I winced.

"You think if I knew how to.. do that, I wouldn't have done it already?" Regina said. 

Thank God. Ripping off your shadow sounded painful. I went and leaned against the wall behind me and listened as they talked. Emma suggested they cover the moon because that's what causes our shadows. Regina and Neal were on board with that.

I watched as Regina and Emma used magic to get the moon covered. I would be lying if I said that I knew it would work, but I thought on the negative for a moment. So I was pleasantly surprised when it, in fact, _did_ actually work about five or so minutes later. I got up from my leaning position and we all ran up the stairs and into the entrance. 

When we got there, I saw Henry had his own heart in his hand. Shit, this wasn't good.

"Henry, wait!" Neal called out and Peter looked up. "Whatever Pan's telling you to do, don't do it." 

"Dad!" Henry said as he turned around. "You're alive?"

"I am buddy. And I need you to listen to me. Pan is lying to you," Neal said. 

"Oh, pleasure to see you too, Baelfire," Peter said. "Not to mention the savior and the Evil Queen. And how could I possibly forget my dear friend, Y/n?"

I looked at Peter as Emma tried to convince Henry that Peter was lying to him. Peter smiled at me and I broke eye contact. Henry wasn't believing a word Emma was saying.

It was Regina's turn to try and convince Henry but to no avail. Peter stepped in front of Henry and told Henry that what they're saying isn't true. Then, Neal tried. Peter was talking to Henry to keep him believing his story.

"Every hero gets tested," I heard Peter say. I sighed.

"This isn't a test, Henry," I said. "Neal, Emma, and Regina are right."

Peter turned around and scowled at me. I just smiled back. Emma tried to convince Henry once again and it seemed like it had worked until Peter spoke to him again. It took some more convincing on both parts but I couldn't tell what Henry believed.

"This is your choice, Henry," Peter said. "You have to choose now." 

"Wait!" I yelled. Everyone turned to look at me. "What about the alternative?"

Peter looked at me strangely. "How do you know about the alternative?"

"I heard you and Shadow talking about it," I said as I walked up to him. "You guys aren't very quiet."

"Well, it doesn't matter what it is, anyway," Peter said. "It's probably not you."

"What is it? Please, just tell me," I said, becoming impatient. 

Peter took a deep breath. "True Love's Kiss."

"What?" I was expecting anything other than _that_.

"Yeah, which is why I don't think it's you. I mean, it's just you've never shown even the _slightest_ bit of interest in me like that so I just-"

Fuck it.

I grabbed his shirt and pulled him into me. His lips crashed against mine and I closed my eyes. He made a small noise of surprise but gave in. He wrapped his arms around my waist and it felt like a gust of wind traveled through the air. 

I pulled away first, already missing the moment. I opened my eyes to see a smile on his face. 

"Did it work?" I asked. 

He turned his head and I followed his gaze. The last of the sand in the hourglass ran out and he was still here, standing in front of me and holding my waist.

"Yeah. Yeah, it did." He breathed out a laugh.

"Wait- how though? I don't love you," I said. He grinned at me.

"True love doesn't mean you have to love me _right_ _now_. It means you're _meant_ to love me and I'm _meant_ to love you," he said. "For forever."

"What the hell just happened?" Regina said from behind me.

I turned around, breaking Peter's grasp on me. I looked at her, wondering the same thing myself. 

"I don't know, but it worked, didn't it?" I said. 

I watched as Henry walked toward the group and Regina put his heart back in his chest. Relief flooded through me. Everyone was okay. 

"What happened was I just became mortal. I have very little magic left but now I can age properly, which is quite disappointing but at least I'm not dead at the moment," Peter said.

I turned around and gave him a small smile and walked over to the group. I knew we weren't finished yet.

"We need to put him in Pandora's Box," Neal said quietly.

"You mean this box?" Peter said, holding the same box Rumple had brought in earlier. "Such a shame your plan is gonna fail. The box has an occupant, already." 

"Who?" Neal asked.

"Why, Rumplestiltskin, of course!" Peter said.

"Peter," I said. He looked over at me, an eyebrow raised. "Give me the box, please."

"Absolutely not. If you guys want this box, you'll have to put up a fight for it," he said. It was worth a shot.

I squinted my eyes at him as I thought. What now? Then, I remembered what he had once told me. Neverland gives you anything you want, right? So I thought of the box. 

_I want the Pandora's Box that has Rumplestiltskin in it_. I waited a moment and then felt it in my hand. As much as I hated doing this to Peter, I had to.

I quickly handed it to Regina. "Open it."

She opened it and Rumplestiltskin came out in red smoke. I looked over at Peter and saw his face had lost color. He looked furious. 

"I'm sorry Peter," I said. "But my family means the world to me."

His face softened slightly. "I guess," he huffed, "It's my fault for teaching you that Neverland gives you anything you want."

"What happened while I was in the box?" Rumple asked.

"We won," Emma said.

"Then why isn't he dead?" Rumple asked. 

"We'll tell you later," I said. 

Everyone turned to look at Peter. He just crossed his arms. 

"What are you waiting for?" Peter asked. 

Suddenly, Peter fell to the ground. My eyes widened.

"Peter!" I yelled as I ran over to him.

I knelt down beside him and observed. He was still breathing, thank God. He was just unconscious. 

"I'm just making sure he can't get this box back," Rumple said. 

He walked over toward us and opened the box. I watched as Peter turned to red smoke and was sucked into the box. With that, we were off.

We made our way off the island and onto the ship. I thought back on everything that just happened. It almost didn't feel real. 

I stepped on the ship and was greeted with the sight of a lot more people. It was all of the Lost Boys. Apparently Mary, David, my dad, and Tink had all convinced them to come along.

It was sometime later when we were in Storybrooke again. Everyone hugged and did all the usual stuff when being reunited. I looked around at everyone with a smile. This was the way it's supposed to be.

"Y/n?" Someone asked. I turned around to see my dad. "Everyone's going to Granny's Let's go."

\---

"Why are we all here?" Mary asked. 

"There's something we need to discuss," Regina said. We all looked at her questionably. "Wendy said it was a trade for Pan taking Henry's heart. Henry would die and Pan would live, right?"

We all nodded. "So, what's the price for Y/n saving Pan?" Emma said. 

Everyone was silent, probably either thinking or in shock. I looked down at the table, thinking about it myself. Of course there had to be a price. All magic comes with a price.

"Wait," David said. "Y/n saved Pan?"

I held up a peace sign and leaned back in my seat. "You've missed a lot," I said. "But I guess the only way to answer your question, Emma, is to ask Peter, himself."

Regina hesitantly took the box out of her purse and set it on the table. Everyone got up and drew whatever weapons they had and Regina opened the box. Red smoke came out of it and soon enough, Peter was standing in front of me with about 7 weapons all trained on him. Regina quickly snatched up the box.

"Y/n," was the first thing he said. My dad stepped in front of me and held his sword to Peter's throat. I stepped out from behind him to get a better look at Peter.

"What's the price?" My dad asked. Peter looked at him quizzically.

"Price?" He asked.

"With Henry's heart, it was a trade," Regina said. "So what's the price with the kiss?" 

Peter relaxed and hopped onto the table, sitting innocently. He chuckled and looked around him. "Oh, you're not going to like this."

"What's the bloody price?" My dad half yelled. 

"Y/n and I's lifelines are connected. If you kill me, she dies and vice versa. And to top it all off, we can feel each other's pain, so you'd better be careful with those weapons," Peter said. 

I should've been expecting this. I should've been expecting anything. But still, it came as a complete shocker. I looked at him and searched his face to see if he was joking but he was serious.

"He's lying," David said. Peter shrugged.

"Would you like to test it?" He asked. 

Slowly, everyone's weapons lowered. Peter looked over at me, a smirk residing in his face. I stared back, shock etched into mine. He reached out and grabbed my hand. 

"Are you sure?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes. There's no way to reverse it. You're mine and I'm yours. Forever," he said. 

For a second, that didn't seem too bad until I remembered that he almost killed Henry. I pulled my hand back and immediately regretted it at the hurt look on his face. I guess no matter what, Peter and I really _were_ destined to have at least _something_ between us. I knew that because everything inside me, no matter what he had done, wanted to be with him.

I saw Regina pull the box back out and open it. Peter turned back to red smoke and was once again trapped in the box. I closed my eyes, wishing he didn't have to be in there. It was scary how easily I was able to let his murder attempt slide. I opened my eyes and sighed. This was a problem for a different day.


End file.
